A group of Democratic senators has urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio to put the brakes on a plan to feature President Donald Trump’s face on U.S. passports as part of the U.S. 250th anniversary celebrations.
“We write to express our deep concern regarding the State Department’s reported plans to issue a limited number of specially designed U.S. passports featuring a picture of President Trump to commemorate the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding. The U.S. passport has never—and should not now—feature an image of a sitting U.S. president,” the group, led by Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon, wrote in a letter to Rubio. “We ask you to halt these plans given the anti-democratic impact this decision will have.”
“To our knowledge, no country places the portrait of a sitting leader in its passport,” they added. “Even the most authoritarian and autocratic governments have avoided equating national identity to the sitting president in such a way.”
Last month, the State Department announced it would release special, limited-edition passports as part of the independence celebrations. A “sneak peek” inside the new passport showed the president’s face laid over the Declaration of Independence, above a gold version of Trump’s signature.
The Independent has contacted the State Department for comment.
The president and his allies have shown an unusual zeal for putting Trump’s face and signature on official documents, currency and landmarks.
In March, the Treasury Department announced the president’s signature would grace U.S. bills alongside that of the Treasury Secretary, a first for a sitting president.
There are also plans to put Trump’s face on a commemorative gold coin. However, the design reportedly may not be ready in time for the July 4, 2026, semiquincentennial, according to U.S. Mint filings obtained by Newsweek.
America the Beautiful national park passes also began featuring the president’s face as part of the 250th anniversary celebrations.
The president’s allies, meanwhile, have pushed to put Trump’s face on Mount Rushmore, rename Washington Dulles airport after him and declare his birthday a national holiday.
The Trump administration itself has put giant banners featuring Trump’s face on agency buildings in Washington. Critics alleged one such banner on the ostensibly independent Justice Department’s headquarters resembled something from the dictatorship ruling North Korea.
The president himself has pushed to add his name more permanently to Washington landmarks, most notably the Kennedy Center.
In the president’s home state of Florida, lawmakers voted to change the name of the Palm Beach airport in honor of Trump.
